Legal regulations often require fire suppression systems to be installed in public buildings, offices, hotels and the like. These systems form part of the construction phase of a building where high pressure pipework is installed connecting a source of high pressure water or other suppressant to a number of discharge nozzles distributed throughout the building. The pipework can be conveniently installed with the other services such as water, electrical wiring, air conditioning ducts during the construction of the building. A suitable control system is then installed on completion of the building together with ceiling panels to conceal the fire suppression system pipework. Thus, the suppression system is largely concealed and all that the eventual building user sees is the discharge nozzles in each room and possibly fire detectors.
Conventional fire suppression systems are inherently suitable for large buildings such as offices and, as described above, can be conveniently installed. However, there is also demand for a domestic solution to fire in residential homes or other smaller property where installing the conventional pipework and ancillary equipment is either prohibitively expensive or technically unfeasible because of the nature of domestic building construction.
The present invention provides a system that can be installed in a domestic or similar environment. Furthermore, the system can be conveniently retro-fitted and furthermore suppress a fire in a manner that causes least damage to the property and contents.